Jerry Richardson made the unpopular announcement yesterday that tickets for the Carolina Panthers 2010 season and beyond would be rising between $1 and $9. This announcement was poorly timed more than anything else. With fans already feeling jilted by an organization cutting popular veterans and fan favorites, the ticket price hike was a gut shot. The perception seems to be that the Panthers want it both ways; they want to get cheaper and field a cheap team in 2010, while also asking more from the fans- I can understand why people perceive it as being greedy.

Ultimately though, Panthers’ fans have very little grounds to level a charge of gouging at the Panthers, and here’s why:

In 2009 only three teams had cheaper average tickets than the Carolina Panthers: The Buffalo Bills, Jacksonville Jaguars and Cleveland Browns. With the exception (possibly) of Jacksonville I think most would agree that the Panthers have enjoyed much more recent success than those other franchises.

Even if the Panthers were to raise every ticket by the maximum $9 (which is not their intention) the Carolina Panthers would still rank 14th in the NFL In average ticket price. Realistically the final ranking will sit somewhere between the 14th and 22nd spots- which isn’t bad at all for the success the Panthers have had during the John Fox era.

I understand why fans are up in arms about this news, especially with today’s economic climate- but let’s all remember that we have been paying some of the cheapest ticket prices in the NFL over the last decade and have received a great product on Sundays.

Perhaps most pressing is the need for the Carolina Panthers to find another quarterback to either backup Matt Moore, or more likely (according to reports in the Charlotte Observer) compete with Matt Moore for the starting job. This off season marks a year with a great deal of rookie talent at the QB position coming out of the draft, but scant few available players via free agency; Chad Pennington was the most touted free agent and he quickly resigned with Miami.

Today we’ll be looking at some quarterbacks still available on the open market and analyzing if they fit for Carolina.

•  Derek Anderson: A late addition to the free agent pool, Anderson was released by the Cleveland Browns and is reported to be visiting Arizona and Seattle. My concern with him is that Anderson would likely be more concerned with wrestling a starting position than mentoring a younger QB, and I would like to work under the assumption that Matt Moore is the answer, for now. Offensive coordinator Jeff Davidson and QB coach Rip Scherer both worked with Anderson in 2007 when he went to the Pro Bowl, and this prior relationship worries me that they wont be able to be impartial in an open competition.
• J.P Losman: Losman is trying to get his career jump started and after a solid showing in the start-up UFL last season landed a deal to close the season out with the Oakland Raiders. Maturity has been an issue for Losman since he entered the league, but his physical tools are undeniable. Ultimately, however, I don’t see him as a player who would, or could effectively mentor Matt Moore.
• Kellen Clemens: Clemens is a solid player who could give Matt Moore a fair competition and is a class act from what I’ve seen. His willingness to take whatever role needed for the NY Jets showed a lot of character, even as he was supplanted by rookie Mark Sanchez. I think Clemens could be a good fit for the Carolina Panthers.
• Todd Collins: Another player I like. Collins filled in wherever needed for Washington as proved to be a consummate pro; a solid backup.
• Josh McCown: Don’t underestimate the possibility of bringing back the 2009 Panther backup. Despite being lost for the season due to injury this journeyman is solid as a backup and has become accustomed to the role. I think he’s a player the Panthers will strongly consider bringing back.
• Duante Culpepper: No thank you. Culpepper clearly has a chip on his shoulder for being spurned by the league and has since carried it from team to team; rather than channeling this ire into becoming a competitor he seems to have become very bitter. He wasn’t thrilled carrying the clipboard for Matthew Stafford in Detroit, and he wouldn’t be happy doing the same for Matt Moore.
• Mark Brunell: High character, consummate pro. Could be what we’re looking for. Brunell has seen it all in the NFL and does not have any ego about being a backup and mentor.
• Patrick Ramsey: I like him a little less than some of the other players on this list, but he could definitely be a viable option.
• Jeff Garcia: Garcia’s name so often comes up when a team is in a pinch for a QB because he’s a proven winner. The problem, however, is that he needs a West Coast offense to thrive and in recent years has become a locker room problem for every team except the Philadelphia Eagles. I don’t doubt Garcia has some left in the tank, but he’s not a good fit for the Panthers.
• Kyle Boller: Boller filled in when needed for the St. Louis Rams last season and could very well be a target of the Panthers. Personally, I would prefer a more established player- but he wouldn’t be bad in a pinch.

So, there we have the top remaining free agent quarterbacks. I will keep you updated with any moves as they happen.

The Fayetteville, NC native and former UNC Tar Heel could also play a role in the 2010 WR corps. Though he only posted two receptions in 2009 he was used in a limited role, and more recently hailed as a fast improving player at the position. I believe he will at least get a look to fill the 3rd or 4th receiver role along with his ST duties.

Signing Wright also shows that the Panthers are looking to upgrade in the 2010 offseason, which may allay some fears of fans who are concerned the organization are looking to get younger and cheaper with reckless abandon.

In other news, kick off specialist Rhys Lloyd confirmed via Twitter that he has signed a contract with the Minnesota Vikings and thanked the people of Charlotte and the organization.

It’s easy to root for the basic tenets of what this organization stands for: honor, integrity and hard work. It’s these core beliefs instilled by Jerry Richardson that have produced tough, blue collar, high character players who more often than not have a heavy heart when they leave the organization.

Sadly, in the last few days we have had a good many players leave Charlotte with that same lump in their chests; Twitters aflutter, tearful farewells and odes to fond memories. As much as a fan believes in the black and teal it’s tough to say goodbye to players who donned the Panthers’ jersey with pride and played the right way, the Carolina Panther way.

None of us truly know what 2010 brings for the organization. The pure fact that at the time of this writing over one hundred and thirty comments were posted regarding the state of the team, and the leaving of Brad Hoover shows the passion that Carolina Panther fans have for their team, and their players. We all sit back and watch as the stories unfold:

“How did we cut him?”

“Why are we getting rid of him?”

“Why are the Panthers so obsessed with getting so young?”

These feelings are exacerbated by a fan base who truly believed we were on the brink of something very, very special for the 2010 season. Dominant wins against some of the league’s elite towards the end of the 2009 campaign had numerous fans prematurely considering a possible Superbowl birth for the 2010 Panthers; and with each of these transactions it appears we are getting further, and further away from this dream.

I am here to tell you it’s not the end of the world, it’s not the end of the Panthers season… this is only the beginning.

The 2010 Carolina Panthers’ nucleus may be very, very young… but that doesn’t mean they wont embody those same characteristics the Big Cat expects from his Carolina Panthers- honor, integrity and hard work.

Too often the term ‘rebuilding’ is thrown around with any team daring to shed veterans, or retool a certain position. It is this term ‘rebuilding’ which I believe is being prematurely applied to the 2010 Carolina Panthers. It appears that in some fans’ minds the team has already made the concession that 2010 will be a wash, a throw away season, one without hope. These same fans were the ones I chose to target when I self appointed the moniker ‘CSR’s resident optimist’.

I saw a fan base the beginning of 2009 utterly disillusioned and without hope. I saw all over the blogosphere and media threatening to leave to become a fan of ‘Team X’ or ‘Organization Y’ unless the Panthers kowtowed to the conditions they put forth; most often entailing firing coaches, benching players or signing other stars. The Panthers bided their time before pulling the trigger on these moves and slowly, but surely clawed their way back. Optimism was briefly restored to the Carolina Panthers’ fan base saw the hope of success, and the possibility of a trip to the promised land. Sadly, the Panthers were a couple of plays and a few minutes too short from achieving this goal, they waited perhaps just a week or two too long to pull the trigger.

Now I see an organization not willing to wait those extra couple of weeks to pull the trigger. They’re making the tough decisions now; before the draft, before training camp and before preseason. The 2010 Panthers are young, but they’re also hungry. The last time I saw a group of young, hungry and unproven Carolina Panthers was in 2003 and they became our Cardiac Cats.

What some see as merely a cap dump and rebuild I see as a streamlining. I see an offense being turned over to one of the most promising young quarterbacks in the NFL, I see the greatest RB tandem ever to grace an NFL field, I see a WR with a chip on his shoulder bigger than any stadium can contain and I see an offensive line- resolute and strong, rich with Pro Bowlers and promise.

I see a defense that is being molded in our sophomore DC’s image, I see the best linebacker in the NFL, I see one of the most dangerous OLBs in the NFC and a secondary full of players dying to make a play. Will the defense look different? Absolutely, it’s being polished every day. However, I learnt something while watching the 2009 Panthers play; we have a tactician at defensive coordinator that I haven’t seen the Panthers have in the past. A man unafraid to change the defensive scheme to shake things up, and I see a coach who went from being met with skepticism to embraced with open arms; “In Ron I trust.”

To Jake, Hoov, Rhys, D-Lew, Na’il, Kemo and Landon- we thank you from the bottom of our hearts for playing the right way and being true Carolina Panthers, for embodying that spirit. We wish you nothing but the best and will hope you succeed wherever you go in the NFL or beyond, but with a heavy heart we as a fan base need to move on too.

I trust in this organization and this front office to continue to supply us with a product on the field on Sundays we can be proud of, win or lose. Not because they’ll always succeed, but because we know that they’ll always give it 110% and be true Carolina Panthers.

I trust in the current scouts and coaches who have given the Carolina Panthers nine Pro Bowlers in ten drafts. Think about that for a moment… the Panthers have had a different player reach the Pro Bowl each year for the last decade, all of whom were drafted by the Panthers in that same time period (DeAngelo Williams, Kris Jenkins, Julius Peppers, Kyan Kalil, Jordan Gross, Steve Smith, Dan Morgan, Mike Rucker, Jon Beason); and yet we doubt their ability to evaluate young talent now, why is that?

So, Panther faithful don’t dwell in the cuts and hardships brought on by retooling or modification. I hereby declare that we stop calling 2010 a ‘rebuilding year’ and instead look at it like the Panthers’ front office is looking at it: 2010 marks an evolution. Just as they evolved and improved in 2009 so this 2010 team will fulfill their true potential; and I have no doubt they will achieve this as long as each and every player embodies the Big Cats’ three basic tenets: honor, integrity and hard work.

The youth movement in Charlotte continues as today the Carolina Panthers cut starting FB Brad Hoover. Hoover, who was headed into his 10th season as a Panther was a fan favorite at FB, and one of the hardest working, most under appreciated Panthers.

For those keeping track here is a list of the players leaving the Panthers, all of whom were thought to be starters, or at least have an opportunity to compete for a starting position:

- Jake Delhomme

- Damione Lewis

- Julius Peppers

- Ma’ake Kemoeatu

- Brad Hoover

- Na’il Diggs

- Rhys Lloyd

The Hoover cut also seems to indicate a strong push from the Panthers’ front office to fill the roster with a startling number of players over 30 let go, or not resigned. The silver lining for this cloud Panther fans seem to be under is that the team already had players they liked at the position they are cutting now. It was a calculated risk cutting Brad Hoover with Tony Fiametta on the roster.

It doesn’t mean we don’t feel the ping of nostalgia seeing all these veteran Panthers leave, but it does mean the team are committed to moving forward and not being stuck in the past; as they are so often criticized.

The latest victim of the Panthers youth movement and cap cutting appears to be kick off specialist Rhys Lloyd. The kicker has indicated through his Twitter account that the Panthers are unlikely to re-sign the booming Brit, most recently posting:

“I hope u were all happy with what I did. And I can honestly say that I wish I was still in Charlotte, everyone there is fantastic.”

Lloyd represented a player unlikely to be retained in 2010, but that doesn’t make his departure any easier. This appears to be a clear indication that the team are looking towards the eventual and necessary replacement of kicker John Kasay, and didn’t believe Lloyd could develop into that kicker.

While unlikely the Panthers will draft a kicker with Kasay still kicking well, they will most likely look for a undrafted free agent who can fill the role of kickoff specialist and possibly evolve into the role. A UDFA would only cost the team roughly $320k, compared to the $750k it would have cost to retain Lloyd.

While in Charlotte the booming Brit performed his role as KOS in exemplary fashion. He was consistently among the league’s best in touchbacks.

While it may not be the most flashy free agent news, at least it’s some indication of the Panthers acquiring another player rather than losing more.

According to Panthers’ beat writer Darin Gantt the Panthers are taking a good look at Douglas (a Greensboro, NC native) though they haven’t formally scheduled a visit yet. Douglas is a run stopping DE and would be looked at more to spell with Everette Brown than as a viable starter in my estimation. At 33 he seems to fly in the face of the Panthers’ recent youth movement, but at the same time the team will need some veteran leadership moving forward.

As always I will keep you updated as new materializes.

These are likely all cap dumps to free up space in case a CBA is reached.

The Carolina Panthers are taking full advantage of the opportunities granted by the lack of a CBA to ‘clean house’ so to speak, and get rid of bad contracts to put them in a better financial situation for future seasons. Ultimately the front office are making these decisions smartly, without knowing what a future salary cap will look like the Panthers put themselves in a a position where they’re ahead of the curve, rather than playing catch up.

There are several risks involved, however. The Panthers are gambling with a lot of their restricted free agents banking on other teams choosing not to offer contracts to their players. If you’re unfamiliar with the RFA process, and qualifying offers what happens is the Panthers elect to set a level at which they tender their players. This sets their salary for the 2010 season, and if no team signs them to an offer sheet then they are paid that amount for the season. The amount of compensation is also tied to a draft pick value in case they are signed away from the Panthers. For example: If a player is tendered at the highest value possible and a team signs their player away they receive a 1st and 3rd round pick from the signing team.

For the 2010 season here are the tenders offered by the Panthers:

- Matt Moore: 1st and 3rd round tender

- Thomas Davis: 1st and 3rd round tender

- Richard Marshall: 2nd round tender

- Jeff King: 2nd round tender

- Louis Leonard: 2nd round tender

- James Anderson: 3rd round tender

- Tank Tyler: 3rd round tender

- C.J Wilson: 7th round tender

No tender: Rhys Lloyd, Rob Pettiti, Quentin Teal

Using this many tenders does risk that a lot of our players garner attention from other teams, especially Richard Marshall who the 2nd round compensation could easily be enticing enough for a team to sign him to an offer sheet.

We truly don’t know what the Panthers have planned for this free agency period, but rest assured I will keep the blog updated with news as it happens.

This was completely unexpected. Tonight the Panthers cut QB Jake Delhomme thereby paying the remaining $18 million guaranteed on his contract.

The Panthers must have the utmost confidence in Matt Moore moving forward, or they would not have pulled this move. This leaves scant few QBs on the Panthers’ roster with just Matt Moore and Hunter Cantwell under contract.

For all of Delhomme’s failings in the 2009 season he should be remembered as arguably the greatest, and definitely most successful QB in Carolina Panther history. His jersey should be retired over time, and it’s my hope that the break was amicable. Other than that, for right now, I’m speechless.